The Linguist

24 The Linguist Vol/63 No/3 thelinguist.uberflip.com FEATURES Rosa-Maria Cives-Enriquez considers the challenges for neurodivergent professionals in the workplace H ave you ever found it hard to work with a colleague or client because their responses seem blunt or rude, they avoid eye contact or stare blankly at you? Have you refused to work with someone who is repeatedly late, appears unable to prioritise tasks or takes more breaks than others during assignments? Have you worked with someone who appears over-sensitive or dysregulated in their response to seemingly reasonable requests or tasks? Now consider this: these responses may be due to neurodivergent (ND) traits. The term neurodiversity was coined by the Australian sociologist Judy Singer to reflect the diversity of thinking in the entire human species. It refers to the different ways the brain works and interprets information, and highlights that many people naturally think about things differently from the accepted 'norm'. Neurodivergence often runs in families, and occurs in all races, cultures, intelligence scales, genders and socio-economic groups. The terminology is currently in flux as the way we think about neurodiversity changes. New language is emerging in this area, led by people wishing to own/reclaim terminology, with some preferring terms such as 'neurodivergent', 'neuro minority' and 'neurodifferent'. I will use these terms interchangeably. As linguists, we are all too aware of the impact of the language we use and the need to keep abreast of linguistic changes. If in doubt, the best approach may be to ask how a person prefers to speak about their neurotype. What is neurodiversity? A 2020 study estimates that 15-20% of the global population is neurodivergent. 1 This represents a significant number of employees, freelancers, clients and service users. However, it is difficult to gather accurate data for various reasons, including a historical lack of consistent assessment methods and criteria, poor access to diagnostic assessments, a historical lack of research, stigma, a lack of globally recognised definitions, and an assumption, in many cases, that boys and children are most affected. The list of conditions that come under neurodiversity varies, but the ones most commonly asked about in the workplace are ADHD, autism, 2 dyscalculia, dyslexia and dyspraxia (DCD). 3 The cognitive hallmark of a neurodifference is often an inconsistency in performance, known as a 'spiky profile'. This is when, for example, someone excels at some aspects of their work but struggles in others, or can work brilliantly for a time but has persistent periods of productivity loss. There are other hidden disabilities that may cause this, such as multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue (CFS), Long Covid and mental ill health. Many of the barriers ND people experience are related to executive function (the mental processes we need to be able to carry out key skills). Cognitive processing delays are common – i.e. difficulties in turning incoming information, such as words, sounds and feelings, into outgoing reactions, e.g. holding attention, answering questions and problem- solving. When this leads to sensory overload, the brain can enter fight/flight/freeze mode, leading to feelings of distress, agitation, anxiety, avoidance, irritability, withdrawal and physical discomfort. More specifically, the following areas of professional/workplace difficulty are typical for ND people: • Memory/concentration (more than 90% of ND employees experience this). • Organisation and time management (>75%). • Managing stress (>65%). • Communicating (>65%), which can include written communication accuracy, written communication speed and verbal communication difficulties. • Managing intense emotions. It is easy to see how these are mistaken for incompetence or a negative attitude, but it is Towards neuroinclusivity © SHUTTERSTOCK

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